Redefining Marriage: A Shift Toward Legal Parental Roles

Modern society stands on the threshold of significant changes in the understanding of marriage, where traditional notions give way to legally structured relationships. Today, instead of the outdated roles of “husband” and “wife”—infused with religious and moral expectations—the focus is shifting to more pragmatic terms such as “father of her children” and “mother of his children.” This approach allows us to concentrate on regulating the relationships between parents, particularly when the emotional component no longer holds a central role.

The evolution in the concept of family bonds offers an opportunity to legally define the rights and obligations of the parties without relying on traditional emotional ties, which primarily helps protect the most vulnerable—children. With the pre-assigned “sanctity” of marriage removed, the relationship becomes akin to a contract, where adherence to legal norms guarantees fairness and stability. This is particularly important in situations where changes in the personal lives of the parents can affect the status and wellbeing of the children.

In conclusion, this shift in public perception signals a move from an idealized family model to a framework of constructive cooperation, in which ensuring the safety and legal status of the child plays a crucial role. The new paradigm enables each party to clearly understand their obligations, contributing to a fairer and more sustainable balance in modern society.

Why can traditional terms like “husband” and “wife” be replaced by alternative expressions such as “father of her children” and “mother of his children”?

Modern society is witnessing a transformation in the concept of marriage—from the traditional model laden with religious and moral expectations to an approach where the relationships between partners are increasingly viewed as contractual. In this context, the traditional labels “husband” and “wife,” along with their associated stereotypes, are being replaced by terms that emphasize the legal and factual nature of parental relationships, such as “father of her children” and “mother of his children.” This change allows for a sharper focus on children’s rights and clarifies the responsibilities of parents, independent of the emotional and moral aspects traditionally linked to marriage.

This shift in focus can be interpreted through the following quote:
"Having emancipated the woman from the family ideal and forced her to lose over us the charm of femininity, we, at the same time, eradicated the Christian understanding of marriage as a mystery and duty from our lives and replaced it with the concept of a contract, the breach of which, like any contract, of course, has and will have no excuse." (source: link )

Here, it is emphasized that abandoning the traditional, religiously based model of marriage has led to new formulations where relationships are not seen as a sacred union but as a legally formalized cooperation. This transformation simplifies the regulation of rights, especially in situations where relationships between men and women are less stable.

Similarly, a critical argument is the protection of children’s rights, as highlighted in the following excerpt:
"Finally, when such a man already has children, while there were no children and never have been from his first marriage, it seems unnecessary cruelty to deprive them of rights to the father's name and his property, when the law grants the children of the other husband or quasi-husband, to whom his wife has run away, the enjoyment of those rights." (source: link )

This quote illustrates that moving toward legally defined roles—“father of her children” and “mother of his children”—helps avoid situations in which children are denied critical rights due to changes in the formal relationship between their parents.

Thus, the replacement of traditional terms with alternative expressions reflects a shift in public perception of marriage—from a romantic and morally charged ideal to a pragmatic, legally structured cooperation where children’s rights and clearly defined parental duties remain paramount.